After months of grueling early morning practices, Democrats and Republicans are set to square off in what promises to be a more competitive rendition of the annual Congressional Baseball Game.

Both teams are clear on one thing: They’re playing to win.

This is the 52nd annual CQ Roll Call Congressional Baseball Game — the first congressional game was played in 1909, and it became a more formalized annual tradition in 1962. Republicans lead the series overall, but Democrats have dominated the charity event for the past four years, largely led by the high-speed pitching of former college baseball player Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.). In response, the Republicans have recruited a ringer of their own: freshman Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.).

“We’re hoping he’ll be our secret weapon, our antidote to Cedric Richmond,” said Sean Brown, communications director for Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), who will be managing this year’s Republican team. DeSantis made his global baseball debut in the 1991 Little League World Series and later played for Yale.

“I think that this is going to be the best shot we’ve had in a couple of years,” Brown said.

DeSantis has certainly hit the Democrats’ radar, and yet they’re not overly anxious about their prospects for the game, which often draws crowds of around 8,000.

“Now Ron, he may be the real deal. I don’t know, we haven’t seen him play yet,” said Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), manager of the Democratic team. “For me, seeing is believing.”

Both teams have been practicing for about three months, heading out for an hour and a half in the early morning each day Congress has been in session.

The GOP team will bring nearly twice as many players to Thursday’s game as the Democratic team — 37 to 22, respectively — making for a team depth that excites Republicans but that Democrats view as a handicap.

“Every member is welcome to come out to the team. If they come to practice, Mr. Barton finds a role for them in the game,” Brown said of the GOP’s hefty lineup.

“This isn’t Little League,” Doyle responded, saying that even this year’s Democratic team is a bit large for his taste. “Nobody gets guaranteed playing time. We play people based on their abilities and we play to win.”

The Congressional Baseball Game is often characterized as a showdown that brings partisan issues from the House floor to the field with the potential to either continue a bitter rivalry or facilitate friendships across the aisle.

“I think it’s good in the sense that it brings people a little closer together,” Doyle said. “It’s a chance to get to know guys in a different area … around a great American pastime.”

Former Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.), one of the few players to have hit a home run in the game, will be this year’s Hall of Fame inductee.

The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Thursday at Nationals Park.

With inclement weather possible for Thursday evening, organizers for the event say they will announce by 11 a.m. whether the game will go on as planned.